You may have heard the phrase ‘adopt don’t shop’ battered around, and you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. Here are the top reasons to adopt a pet rather than buy one at a pet shop.
1. You will save a life
As in countless cities around the world, the chaotic streets of Phnom Penh are the home of thousands of cats and dogs caught in a gruelling daily struggle to live another day.
Overpopulation, not enough food, exposure to various diseases, and dangerous traffic make the streets of Phnom Penh a precarious place for animals to live. Countless generations of cats go through this daily plight and the problem only grows as new litters of kittens are spawned every day. Most do not make it past infancy.
There are countless stray animals in the streets of Phnom Penh. MINISTRY OF CAT
By adopting, you are giving a home to an animal that would otherwise have to live out her days in these deplorable conditions. Adoptions help lift animals out of this misery so that they can be treated for any illnesses and poor health.
Cats in city streets have a very rough life. IVAN RADIC/FLICKR
2. You will be getting a healthy cat
When you adopt from a rescue cat cafe like Ministry of Cat or an animal welfare organization like Animal Rescue Cambodia, your new companion will already have been rehabilitated back to health with expert veterinary care right up until adoption. The cat or dog will have had all the necessary vaccinations to keep her healthy, tested for various diseases such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV), treated for worms, fleas and ticks, and desexed (so you won’t be inundated with a new litter of kittens!). Your new pet’s medical history will be available so you can rest assured the cat or dog is happy and healthy.
3. You will save money
In a bid to promote as many adoptions as possible, it’s generally free to adopt a cat or dog in Phnom Penh. The pet will come with many of the up-front veterinary costs already covered (core vaccinations, spay/neutering, microchipping, etc.). Donations are always welcomed to ‘pay it forward’ to another cat in need. In contrast, buying a cat or dog from a pet shop can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, and generally does not cover the upfront veterinary costs.
4. Adopting will make you feel good
All pets have been shown to be good for your happiness and overall well being. Pet owners tend to live longer and lead happier lives. Pets bring an abundance of love to your home and are a source of social support in times of grief.
Being relatively low maintenance, cats, in particular, tend to reduce the amount of stress and anxiety in your life with their companionship and purrs.
Ramsey is a former street cat that has found his forever home. MINISTRY OF CAT
By adopting, you will get an extra boost of satisfaction knowing you have helped an animal in need. Rescue animals have so much love to give and are often more affectionate than purebreds. In other words, you may save their lives by giving them a loving home – they may just save yours in return.
5. By adopting, you won’t be supporting pet mills
Most animals sold at pet stores come from mills. Puppy or kitten mills are purely for-profit organizations whose one and only aim is to breed as many animals as fast and cheaply as possible.
To maximize their profits, mills must minimize costs. This translates into very harsh conditions for the animals there. They are often crammed into small spaces, put inside cages with wire flooring that hurts their paws and fed only the cheapest and least nutritious food.
Breeding animals have it even worse: Mama cats are forced to mate and reproduce sometimes until the age of 10, which is really old in cat years. When they are no longer able to breed, they are sacrificed or sold to the highest bidder.
You may look at an animal stuck inside a glass case in a pet store and feel a pang of guilt. But purchasing that animal is not the solution. It would only serve to continue fueling this horrible industry. If we all adopted from shelters (or cat cafes) instead of purchasing our pets, these mills will eventually go bankrupt.
6. Adoption helps more than one animal
Every day, many people in Phnom Penh work to improve the plight of street animals. Non-profit organizations, volunteers and concerned citizens rescue cats and dogs constantly, but resources, including space to home these strays, are very limited. By adopting, you are freeing some of that valuable space, giving another homeless animal a chance to a better life.
7. Ministry of Cat makes it easy to adopt
As Phnom Penh’s first and only rescue cat cafe, Ministry of Cat doubles as an adoption centre. This means you can enjoy your coffee and lunch like any other cafe whilst getting to know the resident felines in a cosy environment. If you fall in love with one or two of the cats, you can apply to adopt by filling out a form to be reviewed by the owners. If everything checks out you can come to pick up your new furry family member as early as the next day! All the cats come from our partner organization Animal Rescue Cambodia, and with all the health checks to boot!
This beautiful tortie was adopted last year! MINISTRY OF CAT
8. You will change one homeless animal’s life
If you live in a city such as Phnom Penh struggling with cat overpopulation, you may feel overwhelmed – the problem is just massive and it is hard to know how you can be of help. You may not be able to save all cats, but you can change the life of at least one by opening your heart and home to her. With all the joys of raising an animal and how much love they can contribute to you and your family, we guarantee you will not regret it.
Roxy, a former street cat rehabilitated by ARC and now living at Ministry of Cat. MINISTRY OF CAT